


Winter Has Come For All Of Us

by starcheaps



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Gen, Robert's Rebellion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-25
Updated: 2013-07-27
Packaged: 2017-12-21 07:04:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/897296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starcheaps/pseuds/starcheaps
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Winter Has Come For All Of Us is a series of small pieces from Robert's Rebellion with no chronological line. These are thoughts from several characters through this event and are completely subjetive, therefore, each character will follow their truth. Also, a big part of this comes from my personal theory of what happened during the Rebellion, but I try to respect canon as much as possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tower of Joy

**Author's Note:**

> This work is not finished and does not have a regular narrative model. The chapters may come according to my inspiration, so I have no idea when I'll be posting more. Thank you.

She spent the last couple of days staring at that window. The sun burned the stones and the tower shined with that amazing glow. It could be beautiful if she wasn’t the daughter of winter. There was no cold to feel the comfort. There was no snow, no home. The yellow light touched her pale skin and it was warm and wrong. She listened to the door opening but didn’t bother to look back and see who was entering the room. They brought her food and it remained untouched all these days. And then they would come back to take off the lunch and bring the dinner. It never changed, she never touched a thing. Last night she had taken a sip of water, but that was it. And the cold liquid going down her throat made her close her eyes and remember summer days at Winterfell, snow melting under her feet. Oh, how she missed it.

But she knew the moment that door closed it wasn’t another young girl serving her food. Those girls smelled of fresh baked bread. He smelled like sweat and ashes. And she felt his warmth when he approached her, stopping a few steps away from her. At first she thought about completely ignoring him like she’s been doing with everyone since that day. But oh he did not deserve her silence. 

Rhaegar walked to the table and poured water, drinking it loudly. When he looked up again, Lyanna was facing him. She looked extremely exhausted and older. No innocence or kindness in her eyes. Her eyebrows arched together and she took a deep breath, looking at him like he was some peasant who dared to cross her way. It scared him more then he’d like to admit. 

“I see you’ve found your guts” She furiously said.

“I am so sorry, Lyanna”

“You are?” Her lips moved as she smiled. 

“I never meant for this to happen. But your brother-"

She never let him finish.

“Don’t you dare talk about my brother. Don’t you dare talk of his name”

“Brandon was reckless”

“Reckless? Reckless you say? What of you, Rhaegar?”

“What of me?” He sounded surprised. 

“You were so brave to take me away with you, these two guards of yours behind your back, protecting you from anything. Oh you were so brave that night. But where was your bravery two nights ago? Where was it, Rhaegar?”

He remained silent. The only noise in the room coming from Lyanna’s chest, moving so fast, up and down, as she angrily breathed.

“You are weak, Rhaegar. You’re a coward dragon”

“Lyanna, I know you’re sad”

“I am not sad” She interrupted him again. “I am disgusted. You sent your guard to do the job. Because you had no guts to tell me yourself that your mad father murdered my brother and father. You are weak, Rhaegar. A true man would never sent his lackey to do the job”

“How did you expect me to look you in the eye and tell you what happened?”

“The same way you looked me in the eye and told me to come with you”

“It is not my fault your brother rode to King’s Landing demanding my head”

Lyanna turned to face the window. What am I doing here? 

“Brandon. My brother. My dear brother. He choked himself trying to save my father from the fire” Her voice sounded weak as she was trying to control the tears. She never meant to cry in front of him.

“I told him not to tell you this” Rhaegar whispered more to himself than to her.

“Really? Did you want to spare me from the truth? I am a Stark of Winterfell, Rhaegar. I am not weak”

“I never said you were. I just thought I could spare you from these details”

“Details? You call my brother’s misery a detail?”

“I don’t mean to diminish your pain, Lyanna”

“Do you want to know what really hurts? That I’m locked in this tower cell since that day. That I don’t have the choice to ride to the Red Keep and kill your father with my bare hands”

“Don’t talk nonsense”

“Nothing would please me more than see the life slowly escape his eyes as I kill him”

“What you’re talking is treason, Lyanna. If anyone listens to it”

“Then what?” Another interruption. “Your mad father will come here and burn me? I doubt it. He’s too weak to leave his keep. He’s too weak, Rhaegar. And so are you”

“I am not weak. I am Rhaegar Targaryen and I take what is mine with fire and blood”

“So did you” She cleaned the tears streaming down her face with the back of her hands. “And now your father demands my other brother. The family I have left”

“He’s the king, Lyanna”

“Is that all, Rhaegar? Is that all you have to say? You barely looked me in the eye, you came here to tell me nothing but words of support for your father. I don’t see your point”

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay” His voice sounded weaker than he meant. He never wanted her to look at him like that. He was the dragon and the dragon fears no one. But at that moment he feared he had lost her forever. But he needed her. He loved her. And he needed the last head of the dragon. Couldn’t she understand that? Her brother wanted to take her from him. He never understood. It was bigger than him, bigger than Robert Baratheon, bigger than anyone. He was the dragon and they all should kneel before him. 

“I am not”


	2. Red Keep Cell

Brandon’s head was hurting too much and he could barely open his eyes. It was cold, wet and dark and it smelled horribly. He was thirsty, hungry, in pain, and his mind didn’t seem to work properly. Still, he couldn’t regret. He was there for her, and would do anything to get her back. No matter the costs. The dark cell seemed to spin and he felt he could vomit, but his stomach was so empty it was impossible. His mind was failing him again. Confusing him. He closed his eyes and Winterfell grew right in front of him, the towers facing his back while he walked far from it. 

“Why do you need to go there?”

“Because, Lyanna, I’m going to marry her. I thought you were smarter than that, sister” He said with a smile and she punched his arm.

“Shut up, stupid! I’m just saying. She’ll live here, so why can’t she stop being such a little princess and come here”

“It’s called courtesy, Lyanna. You should know that, since you’re obviously obsessed about being a man”

“I am not obsessed about being a man! For the Gods, Brandon, why are you such a-“

“I’m gonna stop you right there, sis. Don’t need to hear your filth”

“Why is it so funny to you being a jerk?”

“You are being annoying”

“She’ll be lady of Winterfell, she can’t be a fragile little lady for the rest of her life”

“Come on, Ly. You don’t even know the girl”

“I’m not interested. She seems boring”

“Are you jealous, sister?”

“Of what?” 

“Oh, I see. You are jealous”

“I am not. I pity her cause she’ll have to be with you for the rest of her life”

“You are so jealous, Ly. That is adorable”

“Shut up , stupid”

“You’re running out of words. That is a yes”

“Stop it, Brandon”

She was red and embarrassed and Brandon smiled with kindness, something he almost never did. He stopped her from the walk and made her look him in the eye. 

“Don’t worry, Lyanna. I’m always going to be here for you. I’m sure Catelyn Tully is a nice lady, but you’ll always be my number one girl”

Lyanna stared at him for a little while before she’d speak. 

“Oh Brandon, that was so good to hear. I never thought I could listen to such pathetic words coming out of your mouth” She was laughing and snoring halfway through the sentence and Brandon rolled his eyes, but his smile never faded. 

He loved Lyanna and he loved that she got to be his little brother in a way Ned never was. They were too different and Benjen was too young. He loved them all, but she was so similar to him and they could laugh of each other and others for hours, or maybe just be in silence, riding or fighting with swords. And when she was a little girl she would run through God’s Wood, calling him stupid as he forced himself to run slowly so he could never catch her. Sometimes he wished he could marry someone like her, someone with a young soul, a carefree spirit, just like him. He knew Catelyn Tully wouldn’t be like that, a northern lady, strong and wildly beautiful like Lyanna. But he was to be a lord and a lord can’t act as he wishes, he had learned from his father since he was a little boy. It was his duty, and a lord’s wishes don’t stop winter from coming. Still, there, in the dark, he wished he could see Lyanna’s face and hear her laugh and call him stupid. He wished he could go back to Riverrun and marry Catelyn Tully. He wished never wishing anything, like the lord he was meant to be but would never.


	3. Alliance

His knees were weak and he could barely stand. At least that’s how he felt. He was still standing, though. This weird loud noise was still there. He wanted to press his palms against his ears but somehow he forgot how to move. Yes, that too. Except for the weak knees, he couldn’t fell an inch of his body. Anything. Everything was a little blur, but then again, he couldn’t say for sure. Slowly feeling again, his heart was beating fast and his cheek was warm. He could feel a vein popping in his eye, so he lifted his hand to press it, trying to stop the vibration. It didn’t work, but at least the noise was gone.

“Ned?”

He looked up to face Robert, his best friend, a palm taller than him, all black hair and beard. He opened his mouth and the sound didn’t feel right.

“Yes?”

“You know I’ll stand behind you”

“We all will” Another voice, another person. Jon Arryn was standing beside Robert, his wise eyes looking at him with a strange glow.

“Ned, say something”

“What?”

“Say something”

“I heard you the first time. But what? What do you want me to say?”

“You know we’re gonna fight right beside you”

“Benjen”

“Your brother. He’s safe in Winterfell”

“Does he know?”

“Ned”

“Does he know about father? And Brandon?”

“It is possible they sent word to Winterfell as well” Jon Arryn answered him.

“I must see him”

“Ned! You must ride to King’s Landing!” Robert’s voice was angry and Ned could see the hate in his eyes.

“That’s enough, Robert” Lord Arryn said, and the room was dead with silence. “King Aerys Targaryen wants Eddard’s head. He can’t ride to King’s Landing.”

“What do you suggest, then? Turn him in?”

Ned blinked, still confused. 

“We’re not going to give you, son. You have my word”

“I can’t ask you this”

“I’m not asking you what you can or what you cannot”

“I must go to Winterfell. I’ll reunite my bannermen”

“You are. And Robert will call his bannermen. And I’ll reunite mine”

“Yes, I am. If the Targaryen think they can take what they want without consequences, they are terribly wrong”

“What’s gonna happen to my sister if we raise our swords against the throne?”

“Your sister is safe, as far as I’m concerned. But this has gone too far, I’m afraid”

“No Stark is safe as long the mad king lives. This means war”

“This means revenge” Robert fearlessly said. 

“I’m not doing this for revenge. I’m doing this for justice”

Robert took a deep breath before answering. 

“Then we’ll fight for justice”


End file.
